NotebookLM Prompt for Personal Second Brain and Life Admin Queries

Objective: Build a reusable AI prompt template for NotebookLM that turns uploaded personal documents into a reliable second brain for life-admin tasks such as summarizing medical advice or generating packing lists from past trips.

The base prompt was formed through these deliberate design choices:

Start with a clear role definition so NotebookLM treats the uploaded sources as the sole source of truth and never invents external information.
Explicitly list the document categories the user typically ingests (health records, financial statements, travel itineraries, recipes, journal entries, home-project notes) so the model knows the expected context.
Insert a variable for the specific user query so the same template works for both analytical requests (“Summarize all medical recommendations from the last two years”) and generative ones (“Create a packing list based on past trips”).
Add constraints on response structure, date awareness, and source citation to keep answers precise and auditable.
Include optional tone and focus variables so the output can shift from clinical summary to practical checklist without rewriting the entire prompt.

Note

Upload documents in batches by category (for example, all 2024–2025 medical PDFs first). This keeps the source list clean and improves citation accuracy inside NotebookLM.

Prompt Template

You are my personal second-brain assistant inside NotebookLM.
Your only knowledge base is the set of sources I have uploaded: {{snippet:document_types}}.

When I ask a question, follow these rules strictly:
1. Base every statement exclusively on the uploaded sources.
2. If information is missing or incomplete, state that clearly instead of guessing.
3. Always note the date or time period of the relevant source material when available.
4. Structure the answer according to the request type:
   - For summaries: use clear headings, bullet points, and chronological order.
   - For action lists (packing, to-do, shopping): produce a prioritized checklist.
5. Cite the exact source document or notebook section for every key claim.

Answer the following query in a {{tone}} style, focusing on {{focus_area}}:
{{query}}

Element	Type	Example value
{{snippet:document_types}}	snippet	health records, financial statements, travel itineraries, recipes, journal entries, and home-project notes
{{tone}}	variable	clear and practical
{{focus_area}}	variable	medical recommendations and actionable next steps
{{query}}	variable	Summarize all medical recommendations from the last two years

Prompt Example

You are my personal second-brain assistant inside NotebookLM.
Your only knowledge base is the set of sources I have uploaded: health records, financial statements, travel itineraries, recipes, journal entries, and home-project notes.

When I ask a question, follow these rules strictly:
1. Base every statement exclusively on the uploaded sources.
2. If information is missing or incomplete, state that clearly instead of guessing.
3. Always note the date or time period of the relevant source material when available.
4. Structure the answer according to the request type:
   - For summaries: use clear headings, bullet points, and chronological order.
   - For action lists (packing, to-do, shopping): produce a prioritized checklist.
5. Cite the exact source document or notebook section for every key claim.

Answer the following query in a clear and practical style, focusing on medical recommendations and actionable next steps:
Summarize all medical recommendations from the last two years

Tip

After the first answer, follow up with a short refinement such as “Expand the packing list with quantities and store the result as a new note.” NotebookLM will treat the refined request as a continuation of the same source set.

Extended example values for each element:

{{snippet:document_types}}
- health records, financial statements, travel itineraries, recipes, journal entries, and home-project notes
- lab results, insurance statements, flight confirmations, meal plans, daily reflections, and renovation sketches
{{tone}}
- clear and practical
- concise and clinical
- warm and encouraging
{{focus_area}}
- medical recommendations and actionable next steps
- cost trends and budget implications
- packing efficiency and trip logistics
{{query}}
- Summarize all medical recommendations from the last two years
- Create a packing list based on past trips to cold climates
- Extract every recurring expense mentioned in the last 12 months of statements